FIP – Feline Infectious Peritonitis

FIP is a very scary diagnosis to hear when your kitty is sick. Up until 2019, it was a death sentence for a cat due to there not being a treatment or cure for this disease. I was planning to talk about this disease in my blog about Emmet and how we beat FIP without treatment. That blog will still be written, but it has taken a backseat after Prudence was diagnosed with potentially having FIP. Prudence is Emmet’s sister and will be the 4th cat from that litter that has developed the virus (You can meet Emmet and Prudence here). With this unexpected diagnosis, I felt compelled to devote an entire blog to FIP. There will be follow up blogs about Emmet and Prudence coming soon.

What is FIP?

Feline Infectious Peritonitis -FIP – is caused by a strain of the feline coronavirus. This strain usually presents itself in the gastrointestinal tract. When this happens, cats may experience brief bouts with diarrhea and/or have mild symptoms of an upper respiratory infection. A cat’s immune system will usually kick in and fight off this infection.

In a small percentage of cats, approximately 10%, the strain will prove to be too strong for their immune system. The strain then mutates into FIP. As FIP, it will start to attack the WBC (White Blood Cells) and spreads through the cat’s body. As FIP moves through the body, it will begin to cause inflammation around the vessels in tissues, often in the abdomen, kidney or brain.

Types of FIP

There are 2 types of FIP, wet and dry. Both display different symptoms and receive different treatments. Wet FIP causes fluid to build up in the abdomen. This build-up will cause your cat to exhibit a pot-bellied appearance. Fluid may also build up in their chest, causing them to have difficulty breathing. Wet FIP will also cause damage to blood vessels, causing inflammation and fluid to leak from the blood into the abdomen and chest.

Dry FIP will not cause fluid build-up but will cause infection and inflammation. This will happen around the blood vessels, mainly around the brain, liver, kidneys, lungs and skin. Cats with Dry FIP may have seizures and will move in an abnormal or uncoordinated way. Cats will also exhibit weight loss and jaundice. You may notice that your cat has an increase desire to drink water and an increase in urination. Unfortunately, these last 2 symptoms could also mean kidney disease. Because there is not a definitive test for FIP, your vet will need to look at a few things in order to make a FIP diagnosis.

Diagnosis of FIP

As I mentioned, there is not a true test for FIP. The vet will need to do blood work and may even need to do an x-ray or ultrasound. Once they have the blood work complete, your vet will look at certain markers to determine if your cat has FIP. WBC is the main marker, and they will look for a count that is extremely low or high. They will look for elevated protein levels in the blood. Yellowing of the gums or eyes is another marker that leads itself to FIP. Your cat may also have a fever, which may be the reason that prompted the vet visit.

And finally, they will look at your cat’s environment. Do they live in a high-risk group? Through my extensive research on this disease, I have noticed that the majority of FIP cases are found in cats that live in colonies, rescues or multi-cat households where stress is prevalent.

Back in April of 2019, when I went to the vet with my 1st FIP kitty (although unknown diagnosis at the time), Captain Flint had a fever and was lethargic and not really eating. At that time, there was not a lot known about this virus. My vet did blood work and was unsure about what the results were saying. Her explanation of his fever was “Fever of Unknown Origin”. He spent a week at the vets, receiving fluids and antibiotics, trying to fight off whatever infection was attacking his body. Sadly, Captain Flint passed away a day before his 1st birthday. I was unaware of a treatment for this heartbreaking disease until 6 months later, when his brother, Emmet started to show the same signs as Captain Flint had previously. (Emmet’s story coming soon).

Treatment and Palliative Care for FIP

Once FIP develops it is very progressive and almost always fatal without therapy. Thankfully, therapy is now available. This life-saving therapy was discovered in 2019 by Dr. Niels Pederson of UC Davis. It is called GS441, or GS for short, and comes in injectable or pill forms. The treatment is given daily, with the dose based on weight, for 84 days. After the 84 days, your cat will go into the observation period for another 84 days. The success rate of GS is significantly high. Unfortunately, because this treatment is not approved by the FDA as a treatment for the virus in cats, you will not be able to receive the treatment from your vet. If you suspect that your cat has FIP, please contact FIP Warriors and they will help you navigate this scary disease.

Sadly, because of the expense of treatment, some cat parents may not be able to afford therapy. It is a tough situation to be in, but one that we can all understand and relate to. There are a lot of amazing palliative treatment options available. PI (Polyprenyl Immunostimulant) is used to enhance and strengthen your cat’s immune system to help them fight off the virus. Prednisolone Steroid can also be used in the same way as PI. This is the route that we used with Emmet.

When I received Prudence’s potential diagnosis earlier this week, I was researching some natural, homeopathic ways to help her until we can determine if it is FIP. I happened upon an interesting product called FIP Kit by NHV Natural Pet. There are 2 supplements in the kit that will be given daily. FELIMM is to help strengthen the immune system and detox the lymphatic system. BK Detox will flush out harmful toxins and is ideal for suppressed immune systems. I will be purchasing this product and will let you know how it works out with Prudence.

No Longer a Death Sentence

Great strides have been made in diagnosing, understanding and treating FIP in the past 3 years. I have noticed an increase in the number of FIP cases, but I find myself wondering if the case numbers are increasing or if we are just getting better at diagnosing this disease. I think about how many cats may have had this virus and were not able to be correctly diagnosed or treated. If your cat receives a diagnosis of FIP, please know that there are numerous resources available now. A quick Google search of FIP in Cats will yield pages of resources for you. FIP is still a very scary diagnosis, but it is no longer a death sentence.